Amazing place - definitely worth the visit. Call ahead to book a private tour and you're be glad…read moreyou did.

If you love big cats(Panthers, Mtn Lions) down to the smaller ones(Bobcats, Serbals, Jaguarundi's)…read morethen this is MUST SEE!! It is very well run and all the volunteers are very knowledgeable about the cats and facility as a whole. The owners(Bertie and Jim) are the sweetest people you will meet and they treat you like family from the time you enter the facility. You will not be disappointed.

They have a new very young giraffe named Dorothy that came from Kansas, she is so sweet and gave my…read moredaughter all the licks!!!! This zoo is still one of our favorites, I love how close up the animals are. It is so intimate! They offer animal encounters as well. Staff will walk around with reptiles to pet. They have a small concessions stand that sells cold drinks, popcorn, pretzels & nachos. They sell bird feed sticks, goat feed, alligator feed & lettuce for Dorthy. We have memberships. Unfortunately, there is NO member line. So when there is a LONG line, yes you have to wait for anyone who is buying tickets to enter. Hoping they can change that in the near future. We absolutely loved our alligator encounter! So many baby alligators! Staff is so knowledgeable and take great care of the animals here. We learn so much from the staff. I love their enthusiasm for teaching the public about the animals. Definitely come support this amazing small zoo, you won't regret it.

This is not your typical big city zoo. It's small but well maintained. They still have plenty of…read morecute animals to go around. They are known for their 15 min encounters with different animals. First time I visited I did the sloth encounter and it was amazing! To be so close and feed these guys was something else! I went back in May of this year (2025) and was sad to discover their enclosure was being remodeled and the encounter for them was unavailable. Im sure it will be nice when their new home is done! The birds were hilarious but be prepared they may land on your head! The gift shop was nice and the parking was free and plentiful

Not entirely a fan of the park itself, there just isn't much to see. Definitely time your visit so…read moreyou can watch the shows and interact with the sea lions, birds and reptiles, and dolphins or you'll be finished fairly quick, so stick around and get your moneys worth. With that being said, we actually visited so our 8 year old could swim with the dolphins for her birthday. Absolutely the most amazing experience! We lucked up and she was the only one for her time slot, so she got lots of dolphin attention. The trainer was incredibly kind and patient with her and answered all millions of her questions. So while the rest of the park is unfortunately a tourist trap, I highly recommend these programs!

Great place for a hands on experience with animals and trainers. Loved getting up close to animals…read moreyou man never see normally. My kids loved the stingray exhibit where you had the opportunity to not only touch them but also feed them ($5). The trainers did wonderful timed presentations on each animal throughout the facility. Loved hearing their names and the back story of how the animals came to the facility. The dolphin exhibit is large with a theater like stadium for shows. They offer swim with the dolphins experience for an extra charge. A concession stand and store for souvenirs also available.

This is a wonderful place for kids. The staff are always helpful and will answer any questions…read more Great place to spend the day. We have been multiple times and are never disappointed. My grandson absolutely loves the cotton top tamarin, and my granddaughter is the same about the Black and white lemurs. We always average being there 4 to 5 hours. Their just never ready to go. They are always acquiring new animals and birds, so the experience is never dull. Always something new to see The only downside is there is nowhere to purchase food. The nearest food is an Arby's in a gas station off of highway 19. So, if you're planning a full day pack a lunch, especially with young ones.

The place wasn't fully done. A few exhibits were closed. The animals were cool though. We went for…read morea field trip, I didn't really learn anything. It was a cool experience!

Here's an updated version with your added feedback included:…read more We visited Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park in Fort Walton Beach and really enjoyed the self-guided walk through the park. We saw stingrays, dolphins, penguins, manatees, turtles, crocodiles, pelicans, snakes, lizards, frogs, and many other animals. Even though we missed the scheduled shows, there was still plenty to see and enjoy at our own pace. One of the best parts was learning that they care for many rescue animals and help rehabilitate and release them back into the ocean when possible. It was great seeing a place focused on marine animal rescue and conservation. The park was family friendly and easy to walk through, with lots of close-up animal encounters. The reason for 4 out of 5 stars instead of 5 is that some of the animal habitats and viewing areas were not very well maintained. A few tanks had noticeable algae buildup, which made it difficult to clearly see some of the animals. Overall though, we still had a good experience and would recommend visiting if you are in the Fort Walton Beach area.

we're local here and came down to visit the aquarium to check it out. we had a great time and they…read morehave quite a bit of exhibits for land and marine. the dolphin and sea lion show was great! trainers were kind and professional, as well as the staff. it is a small aquarium but have a variety of animals. we definitely recommend to anyone visiting destin to check it out! they also offer military discount as well.

What a wonderful experience with amazing sightings of dolphins. The sunset made the experience…read moremagical. Our Captain Gene was fantastic and knowledgeable. Spend the money and book it today.

Awesome and so worth it. The unanimous highlight of our PCB trip. Braxton was the 'man' and took us…read moreto some great spots to see dolphins (lots of them) and clear waters to snorkel in. Mornings are best and boat ride was so pleasant. Everyone loved it!

Every time we go on vacation, we have to find a zoo. The Emerald Coast zoo did not disappoint. You…read morecan tell the animals are well cared for and the zoo grounds are extremely clean and well kept. This does not seem to be the norm with many small family run zoos in the US There is a large variety of animals some of which we've never seen in enlarged shoes and this is one of the few zoos we've been to where the animals are active and almost interact with visitors. While we were there, the lions that are penned together or playful and seemed interested in the humans on the other side of the fence. We fed the giraffes which include a young one who is very adorable. We also had a nice interaction with one of the zoo staff who was cleaning out the porcupine pen. She was very informative and was willing to answer questions about the porcupines and gave us some information about other animals that we would encounter in the zoo. Overall, it was a good experience and we would highly recommend the zoo to people who enjoy learning about animals or just want something different to do. On a fun note we appreciated that the signage told us the names of some of the animals like two emus named Karen and water buffaloes named fast and slow, if you're a fan of Veggietales, you'll get that last reference.

Great small experience zoo, this isn't your big zoo where they really push spending on you and…read moreeating places. 1/4 of it is designed for you to feed all sorts of animals and have an alpaca cut all the other animals off when feeding them lol. The giraffe feeding was fun and they have a great small display of all sorts of animals. If you want a quick 2 hours zoo and have some kind people to talk to where your time is yours alone. This place is perfect and local.

Lived it. Exactly what we expected and we didn't expect too much. The visuals were worth the walk…read more Some animals are naturally shy. Staff was five stars. Great value.

it is horrible they scammed me and i got attack and i wanna sue them. everything is dust and crusty…read moredo not go here.

This place is truly at the heart of what the forgotten coast is all about. This little place here…read moreon our gorgeous, forgotten coast is dedicated to so many invaluable missions when it comes to taking care of and preserving land as well as the creatures that dwell here whether they be on the land, in the sea or most comfortable in the air. It's very clear that everybody working here has such a heart and a passion for the reptiles, marine life, animals, birds, that they help in represent here in the community. This annual fundraiser for Gulf Specimen Marine Lab is such a fun way for all of us to try to drum up awareness & support for the mission here while getting to have a wonderful time playing dress up & bidding on really cool things at the silent auction. This year alone in our area they helped take care of hundreds of stunned sea turtles when the weather got well below what it typically is persistently for this area and that mission alone is more than worth heading over for a visit getting to learn about the wildlife in this area and supporting their endeavors! Not to mention the fact that there are so many, very interactive ways for both adults and kids to be entertained here while learning about our local wildlife & conservation!

So cool! They had so many animals to touch and see. Great for my kids age 10 and 13 years old as…read morewell.